Weight-Adding Apparatus

ABSTRACT

One embodiment of a weight-adding apparatus including a frame (100) with a shelf or shelves (122, 128) onto which predetermined weights approximating the size and shape of bricks, pavers, and the like (504, 504′) may be removably placed and stacked between parietals (102, 104). The frame (100) may have a hole, hook, or a plurality of holes (110, 110′) and/or hooks to removably attach the frame to a bar, pipe, rod, etc. (502). In addition, when removably attached to a bar, pipe, rod, etc. (502), and in use for exercise, the placement of the shelves (122, 128) in relation to the parietals (102, 104) and hole(s) (110, 110′) and/or hook(s) is such that the frame (100) maintains an even distribution of weight such that its center of gravity (146, 246) may maintain a position to orient the bottom of the frame towards the ground.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/222,489, filed 2021 Jul. 16 by the present inventor, which is incorporated by reverence in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates primarily to exercise equipment, and more specifically a means for affixing weight to bars, pipes, rods, etc.

BACKGROUND—PRIOR ART

The Following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant:

U.S. Patents Patent Number Kind Code Issue Date Patentee 5580343 A 1996 Dec. 3 Cafiero 4913422 A 1990 Apr. 3 Elmore 0221174 A1 2014 Aug. 7 Lin

Foreign Patent Documents App or Foreign Doc. Nr. Cntry Code Kind Code Pub. Dt Patentee 075027 DK A2 2005 Aug. 18 Bliddal 0018224 KR A 2018 Feb. 21 Su Ji

NONPATENT LITERATURE DOCUMENTS

-   -   HybridSack Store, Amazon.com, “Portable Water & Sand         Weightlifting bag (77/120 Lbs) Adjustable Fitness Weights         Dumbbell Beach Workout Sandbag Waterbag” (July 2022)     -   Stainaz Molds, Etsy.com, “Olympic Weight Plate Molds for         Concrete, 5 Mold Set (45lb, 35lb, 25lb, 10lb, 5lb, +10 PVC         Sleeves)” (July 2022)

At present, the most used material for adding weight to bars, pipes, rods, etc., for free-weight resistance training applications is, by far, iron. This is because of iron's inherent efficiency and durability. Iron offers a lot of weight in a relatively small package, and it can withstand the repeated impact exercise weights must endure. To utilize these benefits in resistance training applications, manufactures must pour melted iron into molds to form “plates” so that the iron weight can then be conveniently slid on and off bars, which offer users “adjustability,” a very important attribute given that most users change weights as frequently as every set of exercise they perform (e.g. in-between sets of bench-presses, squats, dead-lifts, etc.).

However, the form of iron that is used in exercise applications is also a highly in-demand raw material used in myriad commercial applications, especially industrial. And because this form of iron must first be mined as iron ore, then extracted with kilns or furnaces at temperatures 1,500° C. (2,730° F.), or higher, it is very costly to produce, and does not become materially more affordable when it is “used,” and sold in secondhand markets.

As of the time of filing this application, the lowest prices for the conventional 45 lb iron plate were: $79.99 ($1.78/lb) at Dick's Sporting Goods (sporting goods retailer with 729 stores in the U.S. as of Apr. 30, 2022), $62.99 ($1.40/lb) at Walmart, and $150 for a pair of two (2) 45 lb plates ($1.67/lb) on Craigslist.org, one of the most efficient markets for secondhand exercise equipment in the U.S. (search query used: “45 lb plate”; location: South Florida; number of listings having iron plates: 26).

Another significant downside of iron is its cost and difficulty transporting. Weight is one of the biggest variables in determining shipping costs. And heavy weight itself is inherently cumbersome. Small gyms and individuals that want the benefits of iron must therefore bear this additional shipping cost themselves, further adding to their total cost for weight for free-weights.

For these reasons, iron is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, expenditure for the free-weight training component in exercise facilities, particularly for smaller end-users with home gyms, and especially for those in third world countries that have relatively limited access to such difficult to make and transport products.

Many have attempted to solve this problem using alternatives to iron like water, sand, and concrete but these alternatives had significant problems—for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,343 to Cafiero (1996) and South Korean patent 0018224 to Su Ji attach plastic bottles to bars; U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,422 to Elmore (1990) and international patent 075027 to Bliddal (2005) provide bars with empty compartments; U.S. Pat. No. 0,221,174 to Lin (2014) utilizes empty tires to be filled various grains, and slid onto a bar; and a product currently being marketed on Amazon.com by the HybridSack Store relies on putting water or sand in a bag (“Portable Water & Sand Weightlifting bag (77/120 Lbs) Adjustable Fitness Weights Dumbbell Beach Workout Sandbag Waterbag”). Another option currently being marketed by Stainaz Molds on Etsy.com, “Olympic Weight Plate Molds for Concrete, 5 Mold Set (45lb, 35lb, 25lb, 10lb, 5lb, +10 PVC Sleeves),” has a $100 price tag, and relies on mixing and pouring concrete. All of these patents, and any other alternatives utilizing water, sand, or concrete, heretofore known, suffer a number of disadvantages:

(a) Density to volume ratio. Where iron has a weight of 7.87 grams per cubic centimeter, water only weighs 1 g/cm³, which means almost 8 times the volume of water is required to get the same amount of weight as iron per cubic centimeter. As for sand, even relatively fine and heavy beach sand still only weighs 1.53 g/cm³.

(b) Inconvenience in assembly. The user must fill containers with sand or water, or, in the case of concrete, which has a higher density of 2.41 g/cm³, the user must mix and pour each concrete plate.

(c) The adjustability-sturdyness-shipping paradox. Any compartments having the adjustability of iron plates, which can be easily slid on and off a bar (e.g. the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 0,221,174 to Lin (2014) that utilizes empty tires) are relatively voluminous and therefore relatively expensive to ship. Anything else that does not require shipping a voluminous package (e.g. South Korean patent 0018224 to Su Ji that relies on thin plastic bottles the user already has, or must purchase separately) lacks sturdiness and convenient adjustability. Concrete molds, the lightness and low volume of which substantially offset its shipping cost, lack in sturdiness, as bare concrete in relatively thin plate form is highly susceptible to chipping and breaking upon impact (even if rebar is used, the exterior is still relatively fragile).

(d) Unwieldy. Alternatives to iron like bags or bladders the user can fill with a given material are not suitable for most exercises.

(e) Complex and costly manufacturing. In an effort to provide many of the attributes of iron, particularly adjustability and sturdiness, present alternatives to iron require complexity that increases the cost of manufacturing and thus the price to the end-user.

(f) Cost per pound. At present, on average the total cost per pound for alternatives to iron that provide sufficient density, adjustability, convenience, sturdiness, relatively low volume for shipping, practicality, and low-cost manufacturing do not justify the supplantation of the relatively expensive iron plates on a meaningful level for the millions of consumers around the world whose overall health and fitness could benefit from such a product.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one embodiment a weight-adding apparatus comprises a frame with a shelf sandwiched between two parietals wherein predetermined weights approximately the size and shape of bricks, pavers, and the like, may be placed, and through-holes in the parietals allow for the removable attachment of the frame to a bar, pipe, rod, etc.

Advantages

Accordingly, several advantages of one or more aspects are as follows: a frame for placing and stacking a predetermined weights roughly the size and shape of bricks and pavers, the latter of which having a ≈1.96 g/cm³ density and average ≈$00.15/lb current price, that may be conveniently and removably attached to a bar, pipe, rod, etc., in such a way as to a provide a user a lower cost alternative to iron that may be used in free-weight resistance training applications similar to iron plates. Thus providing a user relative density, ease of assembly, adjustability of weight, sturdiness, relatively low weight and volume for shipping, ease of manufacture, and practicality. These and other benefits of one or more aspects will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description.

DRAWINGS—FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of a weight-adding apparatus according to an embodiment

FIG. 2 shows a rear perspective view of a weight-adding apparatus according to an embodiment

FIG. 3 shows an exploded front perspective view of a weight-adding apparatus according to an embodiment

FIGS. 4 shows an enlarged perspective view of a pin according to an embodiment

FIG. 5 shows a transparent side view of a weight-adding apparatus according to an embodiment and showing the inclusion of removable predetermined weights and the weight-adding apparatus removably attached to a bar, pipe, rod, etc.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

The terms “left,” “right,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “height,” “width,” “upper,” “lower,” “interior,” “exterior,” “inner,” “outer,” and the like as may be used herein, merely describe points or portions of reference and do not limit the present invention to any particular orientation or configuration. Further, terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., merely identify one of a number of portions, components and/or points of reference as disclosed herein, and do not limit the present embodiment to any particular configuration or orientation. In addition, identical components or portions of the disclosed embodiment are identified with identical reference numerals.

An embodiment of the frame for the weight-adding apparatus is illustrated in FIG. 1 (front perspective view) and FIG. 2 (rear perspective view). The frame 100 may have a left parietal 102 and right parietal 104 approximately shaped in the form of arches or semicircles with typically flat bottoms. A handle 106 may be placed near the top of the parietals into handle recesses 108, 208 on their interior faces. The left parietal 102 and right parietal 104 may have a longitudinal central upper through-hole 110, 110′ near the top of the roughly arched shape of each parietal, and below the handle 106 wherein through-holes 110, 110′ are configured to facilitate removable attachment to a bar, pipe, rod, etc. The diameter of these through-holes 110, 110′ is typically 2.5 cm to 5 cm.

The components of the frame 100 may be made of durable plastic. However, one of skill in the art would readily appreciate that the components may be fabricated from other rigid and durable materials (e.g. durable silicone, stainless steal, etc.).The parietals are typically 1.25 cm to 2.5 cm in thickness, and have overall dimensions roughly 41 cm long by 25 cm high, but may be many different sizes, shapes, or thickness. For example, the parietals 102, 104 may be thinner and smaller if a more durable material is used, such as metal.

An embodiment may include rubber shock-absorbers 112, 212, 114, 214, 116, 216 which may adhere to the bottom of each parietal with an adhesive. However, other shock-absorbing material may be used instead of rubber, such as silicone, and/or attached in other ways, such as snap-on, screw-in, etc., or shock-absorption may be omitted all together (e.g. if the frame is composed of a material durable enough to not require additional protection, or if a user's floor already has a material to mitigate impact to the frame 100).

In an embodiment, both parietals may be identical with the exception of the left parietal 102 having a central lower through-hole 118 near its bottom, and the right parietal 104 may have a central circular protrusion 218 near its bottom approximately slightly smaller than the lower central hole 118 of the left parietal. The protrusion of the right parietal 218 typically has a beveled edge. Therefore, when more than one frame is removably attached to a bar the lower central protrusion 218 on the right parietal 104 of the frame may be inserted into the lower central hole 118 in the left parietal 102 of an additional frame. Thus, additional frames may engage each other in a manner to limit the rotation of each frame in relation to the other.

Between the parietals of an embodiment may include six (6) inserts positioned with their face perpendicular to the frame: a horizontal front structural insert 120 near the bottom, a front bottom-shelf insert 122, a front back-of-shelf insert 124 that may be perpendicular to the bottom-of-shelf insert 122, a rear back-of-shelf insert 126 that may be perpendicular to a rear bottom-of-shelf insert 128, and a horizontal rear structural insert 220 near the bottom of the rear half of the frame 100.

An embodiment may include three (3) pins for attaching the parietals together (enlarged in FIG. 4 , and described in more detail below), a front pin 130, middle pin 132, and rear pin 134. The size and shape of these pins may be the same as each other, and symmetrical at both horizontal and vertical cross-sections for simplicity of manufacturing and assembly.

The left parietal 102 may have a front dedicated-pin-hole 136, middle dedicated-pin-hole 138, and rear dedicated-pin-hole 140 to contain the end of the pins 130, 132, 134,. The right parietal 104, may also include a front dedicated-pin-hole 236, middle dedicated-pin-hole 238, and rear dedicated-pin-hole 240. Each of these six (6) holes may be the same size, and approximately slightly larger than the elongated central portion of the three (3) pins 130, 132, 134.

The right parietal 104 may have a front-opening 142 roughly half its surface area, and a symmetrical rear-opening 144. The left parietal may also have the same symmetrical front-opening 242 and rear-opening 244.

The holes and openings in the parietals 102, 104 in an embodiment, except holes designated for pins, may be beveled on both the inside and outside faces of each parietal 102, 104 to avoid snagging and personal injury. The roughly arch-shaped outer edges of the parietals may also be beveled on the inside and outside faces of the parietals to avoid snagging and personal injury. The bottom of the parietals 102, 104 are typically flat, but may be altered to facilitate shock-absorption or the addition of shock-absorbing material, if used (e.g. grooves or recesses for placement, adhesion, and/or attachment of a shock-absorbing material).

Also illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 , frame 100 may have a center of gravity located at location 146, 246. The frame 100, having a center of gravity at the location 146, 246 may ensure that the handle 106 of the frame 100 remains facing upward by biasing its bottom toward the ground. The center of gravity may be at location 146, 246 or any other suitable location to ensure that frame 100 is oriented in an upright position with the handle 106 facing upward, and its bottom facing the ground. Thus axial movement of the weight-adding apparatus perpendicular to a removably attached bar is minimized during use.

Turning to FIG. 3 (exploded front perspective view), the front half of the inside of both left and right parietals 102, 104 may have: a front horizontal grove 320, 320′ near its bottom for the front structural-support insert 120, a front bottom-of-shelf grove 322, 322′ angled upward from its center for the front bottom-of-shelf insert 122 and a correspondingly perpendicular front back-of-shelf grove 324, 324′ also located in their front half to fit the front back-of-shelf insert 124 in. Similarly, the rear half of the inside of both left and right parietals 102, 104 may have: a rear horizontal grove 326, 326′ near its bottom for the rear structural-support insert 220, a rear bottom-of-shelf grove 328, 328′ angled upward from its center for its rear bottom-of-shelf insert 128 and a correspondingly perpendicular rear back-of-shelf grove 330, 330′ also located in its back half to fit the rear back-of-shelf insert 126.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 , dedicated-pin-holes 136, 138, 140, 236, 238, 240 on the parietals 102, 104 may have a slightly smaller circumference on the inside of each parietal relative to their circumference on the outside of each parietal, as illustrated in FIG. 3 showing the interior-facing dedicated-pin-holes 332, 334, 336 of the right parietal 104 (the inside of the left parietal 102 may mirror these holes in placement and size). There may be a notch or step at the junction of the circumference differential within these holes, as illustrated with the pin-hole steps 338, 340, 342 of the left parietal 104 (the right pin-hole steps inside the right parietal 104 may may mirror these steps in placement and size).

Turning to FIG. 4 (enlarged view of the front pin 130), slits 402, 402′ may be placed across the full diameter of the pin-face 404 having a depth typically extending 0.64 cm to 1.3 cm longitudinally inward from the six (6) faces of each of the three (3) pins 130, 132, 134. FIG. 4 also shows pin-end overhangs 406, 406′ partially encircling each pin-end 408, 408′. These pin-overhangs 406, 406′ may not encircle the pins entirely, but stop on both sides of the pin-slits 402, 402′ at correspondingly perpendicular planes 410, 410′ abutting the interior circumference of the pin 130. This is so the total parameter of the pin-overhangs 406, 406′ when the slits 402, 402′ are pinched closed, may be small enough to fit into a designated hole, and then expand after passing a step or notch within that hole.

Both ends of pin 130 may also be beveled so that the circumference at the beveled end of each pin 408, 408′ is just smaller than its dedicated-pin-holes 332, 334, 336, as shown on the right parietal illustrated in FIG. 3 (and mirrored by the left parietal 102). Thus, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 , when the end 406, 406′ of a pin 130 is placed into its dedicated-pin-holes 136, 138, 140, 236, 238, 240 from the smaller openings on the inside of the parietals longitudinal pressure from the opposite end of the pin applies inward pressure to the beveled edges 408, 408′ on both sides of its slits 402, 402′ thereby pinching the slits closed, and allowing the pin-end 408, 408′ to fit inside its concomitant hole. Also shown in FIG. 3 are steps within the pin-holes 338, 340, 342 of the left parietal (mirrored by the right parietal). Consequently, when the pin-end overhangs 406, 406′ pass these steps, then pin-ends 408, 408′ expand, and the pin is prevented from retreating back in the direction in which it was inserted.

Thus, referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 , one may assemble the frame 100 of an embodiment by sandwiching: its handle 106 into its recesses 108, 208; its inserts 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 220 into each of their corresponding groves 320, 320′, 322, 322′, 324, 324′, 326, 326′, 328, 328′, 330, 330′; each pin 130, 132, 134 into its dedicated-pin hole 136, 138, 140, 236, 238, 240 until the pin-overhangs 406, 406′ pass the pin-hole steps 338, 340, 342 (mirrored in each parietal) and expand, thereby locking these internal components between the parietals. In this manner, the width of the inserts 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 220 along their x-axis may determine a minimum width between the parietals 102, 104; and the width between the pin-overhangs 406, 406′ may determine a maximum width between the parietals 102, 104.

FIG. 5 (transparent side view) shows a fully constructed embodiment removably attached to a bar, pipe, rod, etc. 502, housing predetermined weights 504, 504′ approximately the size and weight of conventional bricks, pavers, and the like.

Drawings-Reference Numerals 100 frame 102 left parietal 104 right parietal 106 handle 108 handle recess 110, 110′ upper through-hole 112 rear shock-absorber (left parietal) 114 middle shock-absorber (left parietal) 116 front shock-absorber (left parietal) 118 lower central through-hole 120 front structural insert 122 front bottom-shelf insert 124 front back-of-shelf insert 126 rear back-of-shelf insert 128 rear bottom-of-shelf insert 130 front pin 132 middle pin 134 rear pin 136 dedicated-pin-hole (left parietal) 138 dedicated-pin-hole (middle, left parietal) 140 dedicated-pin-hole (rear, left parietal) 142 front-opening (right parietal) 144 rear-opening (right parietal) 146 center of gravity location 208 handle recess 212 front shock-absorber (right parietal) 214 middle shock-absorber (right parietal) 216 rear shock-absorber (right parietal) 218 circular protrusion 220 rear structural insert 236 dedicated-pin-hole (rear, right parietal) 238 dedicated-pin-hole (middle, right parietal) 240 dedicated-pin-hole (front, right parietal) 242 front-opening (left parietal) 244 rear-opening (left parietal) 246 center of gravity location 320 front horizontal grove (left parietal) 320′ front horizontal grove (right parietal) 322 front bottom-of-shelf grove (left parietal) 322′ front bottom-of-shelf grove (right parietal) 324 front back-of-shelf grove (left parietal) 324′ front back-of-shelf grove (right parietal) 326 rear horizontal grove (left parietal) 326′ rear horizontal grove (right parietal) 328 rear bottom-of-shelf grove (left parietal) 328′ rear bottom-of-shelf grove (right parietal) 330 rear back-of-shelf grove (left parietal) 330′ rear back-of-shelf grove (right parietal) 332 interior-facing pin-hole (right parietal, front) 334 interior-facing pin-hole (right parietal, middle) 336 interior-facing pin-hole (right parietal, rear) 338 step within the pin-hole (front, left parietal) 340 step within the pin-hole (middle, left parietal) 342 step within the pin-hole (rear, left parietal) 402, 402′ slits (pin) 404 pin-face 406, 406′ pin-end overhangs 408, 408′ pin-ends 410, 410′ perpendicular planes (pin) 502 bar, pipe, rod, etc. 504, 504′ bricks, pavers, and the like

Operation—FIGS. 1, 2, 5

The manner of using the weight-adding apparatus is similar to that of weight plates. Namely, one slides the frame 100 of the weight-adding apparatus on and off a bar, pipe, rod, etc. 502, longitudinally and perpendicular to the bar via its upper through-holes 110, 110′. Also similar to weight plates, which conventionally come in 5, 10, 25, and 45 lb increments, the weight-adding apparatus enables one to place predetermined weights 504, 504′ approximately the size and weight of conventional bricks, pavers, and the like, on its shelves 122, 128 in increments of two (2), one (1) on each side to maintain a center of gravity 146, 246 oriented towards the ground. The approximate weight of the average, brick, paver, and the like is 5 lbs. Therefore, one may use the frame 100 typically approximating 2-5 lbs on its own, without any additional weight, or use bricks, pavers, and the like, to add weight in increments of approximately 10 lbs (≈2-5 lbs for the apparatus itself +≈10 lbs, ≈20 lbs, ≈30 lbs, and ≈40 lbs), then exercise with it as one would with plates on a bar, pipe, rod, etc.

The user may removably attach the apparatus by gripping it via any of its dedicated openings 142, 144, 242, 244 or by holding onto its handle 106 parallel to the bar to prevent pinching fingers, which is common with iron plates that have handles parallel to each adjoining plate, if they have handles at all.

Prior to use, the user may secure the apparatus along a bar's longitudinal axis with any clips that are typically used for the same purpose when plates are used, such as the conventional and ubiquitous “spring clips.”

Conclusion, Ramifications, and Scope

Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of various embodiments but as merely providing illustrations of a possible embodiment. For example, the parietals can be other shapes, such as triangular, rectangular, trapezoidal, etc.; the parietals, shelves, and/or overall structure can be connected or reinforced alternatively with rivets, bolts, screws, hinges, couplings, etc.; there can be no protrusions or recesses for interlocking additional frames, or a plurality of protrusions and recesses at different locations for interlocking additional frames; the shelves can be at various angles, such as flat with a latching mechanism to secure the additional weights added; hooks can be used instead of holes as a means for removably affixing the parietals to a bar, pipe, rod, etc.; and the apparatus can be used for different applications all-together (other than exercise), in which additional resistance is needed.

Thus the scope of embodiments should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the example embodiment given. 

What is claimed:
 1. A weight-adding apparatus, comprising: (a) a frame having a first and a second parietal opposite the first parietal, (b) a shelf in-between said first and second parietals wherein predetermined weights may be placed, (c) variable means for removably attaching said frame to a bar, pipe, rod, etc., whereby said frame will proportionally increase the weight of said bar, pipe, rod, etc.
 2. The frame of claim 1 wherein the space between said first and second parietals is approximately large enough to fit bricks, pavers, and the like parallel to said parietals and rest on said shelf wherein the bricks, pavers, or similarly sized material may stack on top of each other between said parietals.
 3. The frame of claim 1 further comprising a handle perpendicular to said first and second parietals, positioned at the top of said frame.
 4. The frame of claim 1 wherein both horizontal cross sections, length and width, are symmetrical such that the weight of the apparatus is distributed evenly longitudinally and latitudinally;
 5. The frame of claim 1 wherein a center of gravity of said frame is located in a position to orient the bottom of the frame towards the ground.
 6. The frame of claim 1 wherein said variable means for placing said frame onto said bar, pipe, rod, etc., is a hook or a hole or a plurality or combination thereof to facilitate removably attaching said frame onto said bar, pipe, rod, etc.
 7. The variable means of claim 6 wherein said hooks or holes are oriented such that said frame attaches substantially perpendicular to said bar, pipe, rod, etc., and axial movement of said frame is restricted along the same plane of said bar, pipe, rod, etc. 